Profitability and Elusiveness in Central Otago W. Blake Gray March 17, 2014 Columns, Features, W. Blake Gray 1 Comment A decade ago, New Zealand's Central Otago region seemed like the next place for a wine boom. In the 1970s, there were no wineries. There were only six in 1990, but five years ago, there were more than...
I’ll have some Roussillon, hold the Rivesaltes W. Blake Gray February 16, 2014 Columns, Features, W. Blake Gray 6 Comments Today I take pleasure in upending one of the most common wine story tropes: the "disappearing underappreciated wine" story. These stories play the emotions like a zither: loss, urgency to act, the...
Can America Save the Wine World? W. Blake Gray January 20, 2014 Columns, Features, W. Blake Gray 7 Comments Picture a public tasting, an important one, held in Montpellier, France. People are tasting American wines. And grimacing. The wines are too sweet. Too primitive. And too funky. People want to like them,...
2013 REDUX / Darth Vader is My Lover: Revelations About Brettanomyces in Wine W. Blake Gray December 26, 2013 Columns, Features, W. Blake Gray The seminar was ground-breaking for UC Davis, which previously always called Brettanomyces in wine a "spoilage organism." This was the first time the university acknowledged that brett is an important part of some wines' terroir.
Wine, Oil and Family: the Three Stories of James Ontiveros W. Blake Gray December 17, 2013 Columns, Features, W. Blake Gray 3 Comments James Ontiveros met me at Pappy's for breakfast. It's a farm-country diner in Santa Maria Valley, California, where the omelets almost cover a whole plate. We spent a morning together, while his wife was...
When Is Wine Art? W. Blake Gray November 18, 2013 Columns, Features, W. Blake Gray 16 Comments "Artistic expression is the window to a person's soul. Since I began making wine in 2005, La Fenêtre -- French for 'The Window' -- has been the expression of my art: winemaking." -- Wine back-label copy Is...
Bordeaux Week: Finding Wines that You Can Drink W. Blake Gray November 11, 2013 Columns, Features, W. Blake Gray 7 Comments Château Couronneau What if I told you there's a region with 6th-generation family-owned wineries, passionate young winemakers, and distinctive red and white wines that are truly reflective of their...
Ten Easy Tips to Make Delicious Cocktails W. Blake Gray October 20, 2013 Columns, Features, W. Blake Gray 2 Comments I used to make lousy cocktails. Not anymore. I didn't go to a bartending class. Instead, I just paid attention to what good bartenders do, and took a few simple steps. Now I'm going to share. This is not...
